festivity

noun

fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fe-ˈsti-və-tē How to pronounce festivity (audio)
fə-
plural festivities
Synonyms of festivitynext
1
: festival sense 1
2
: the quality or state of being festive : gaiety
3
: festive activity

Synonyms of festivity

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Examples of festivity in a Sentence

The decorations give the hall an air of festivity. The festivities will include a parade, a concert, and games for children. We enjoyed the New Year's Eve festivities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In lieu of festivities, tens of thousands of people took to the streets Wednesday across Spain to protest the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, demanding solutions and blaming Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for his government's handling of it. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Wedding festivities took place over four days and began in a city hundreds of miles away, to which my wife and I traveled. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 Zuckerman and Montgomery briefly joined the festivities before heading upstairs for a wardrobe change. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 On August 30, almost exactly one month before their anniversary, Gomez and Blanco took a trip to Venice, Italy to kick off the festivities in style. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for festivity

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of festivity was in the 15th century

Rhymes for festivity

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Browse Nearby Words

festive
festivity
festivous
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Cite this Entry

“Festivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/festivity. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

festivity

noun
fes·​tiv·​i·​ty fes-ˈtiv-ət-ē How to pronounce festivity (audio)
plural festivities
1
: festival sense 1
2
: the quality or state of being festive
3
: festive activity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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